How about a little high-brow premiere to get this Wednesday started? Composer and my Princeton, NJ homegirl (can a composer be a homegirl?) Sarah Kirkland Snider has generated a minor critical tsunami this year with Penelope, a project she has developed for performance as either a song-cycle or a musical-theater monodrama. The modern-day story revolves around a woman, who refers to herself as Penelope, whose long-missing and amnesiatic husband unexpectedly turns up at her door after two decades at war. In an attempt to restore his memory, the woman reads to him aloud from Homer’s Odyssey. The role of Penelope is played by Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, and the score (which features string orchestra, harp, percussion, electric guitar, electric bass, drums and electronics) is performed by Signal under the direction of Brad Lubman.

MOKB is abnormally proud to premiere the absolutely stunning video for The Lotus Eaters, one of several haunting numbers from Penelope that taunts me for merely saying that it defies description.

If you absolutely must hear more (and who could blame you?), Penelope can be purchased directly from New Amsterdam Records.